You've got to love a guy who's clearly so in love with his wife. The affection President-Elect Obama has for Michelle is clear in interviews and whenever she appears in public with him. Take, for instance, the night of his victory speech - the whole world was watching - when Barack described Michelle as the rock of his family, his best friend and "the love of my life." It was a swoon-worthy moment if ever there were one. It made me glance at my own husband, who was sitting next to me on the couch, and wish he'd say something like that about me. What woman wouldn't?

Excuse me if I sound mushy. But this is still new. Americans are used to more formality on the part of first couples such as what we've seen with Pres. Bush and his wife.


Seeing the Obamas relate to each other and to their beautiful daughters is probably renewing the hope of single people everywhere who may have given up on finding The One and having a family. They are a real-life example that long-term relationships can work, even in spite of the high divorce rate and increases in numbers of couples who choose to cohabitate.

For African Americans, this is even more significant given the fact that roughly 70 percent of all black babies are born out of wedlock. Maybe having the Obamas as Americas first couple, will help usher in a new era of fidelity. Or if nothing else, it can serve as a model of what a healthy, egalitarian relationship can look like.